Sweeping compound.



Unrrnn STATES arena: enrich.

ISERTHOLD SINGER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE PEROLIN COMPANY OF AMERICA, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

SWEEPING COMPOUND I Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented July 30, 1907.

Application filed June 23,1966. Serial No. 323,036.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BnRTnoLn SINGER, a citizen oi the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county 3 and it has for its primary object to provide a granular form of material for this purpose in which each individual granule 'or particle shall contain within itself a quantity of dust-absorbing orcollecting substance entirely free from oil or other like ingredient liable to damage the surfaces with which it comes into contact, and which dust-collecting substance "shall be so hold I by the said particles as to remain moist practically indefinitely. 4 I

With a view to theattainment of these ends, and the accomplishment 01' certain other objects which will hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the iea-- tures of novelty which will now be more specifically described, and pointed out in the claims.

In carrying out my invention, I employ a suitable body materialcomprising small particles or granules,

each individual granule of which possesses pores, so

as to be capable of absorbing a liquid, contradistinq guishcd from merely carrying a portion of theliquid on its exterior, and these particles or granules I thoroughly impregnate or saturate with saponilied waterin primortion suflicient to fully laden each particle without having any free liquid, so that the resultant product will be a granular mass, or mass of detached, separated particles, each containing within itself a' quantity of the saponiiied liquid, and being capable of rolling freely upon the floor, or other surface, and

bringing all oi its sides into contact with the dust particlcs, which adhere to the saponilicd granules by rea son of their moist surfaces, which are retained in this Inoist condition practically indefinitely, and the moisture of the surface thereof replenished bythe more liquid iorm ol' the saponificd substance contained further within the pores of'tlic granule or body-particle. As a suitable porous granule, or comminuted body-substance, l employ sawdust, comminutod slag, or other like material, but preferably saw-dust, because of its cheapncss, its porous nature, and its cleaning properties; and for the saponiiied material, I employ any suitable soap and water, but preferably a potash ,or'soda soap, and one containing fatty substances, and

ammonia. To about one pound of soap, I add 25 pounds of water, in which the'soap is dissolved,' prof without leaving the mass mushy or wet.

I add thereto about 12 pounds of saw-dust, or sullicient t0 entirely absorb all of the liquid and at the same time thoroughly saturate all particles of the saw-dust The sawdust being introduced while the liquid is hot, it readily receives the liquid into its pores, and when itis allowed to cool, the liquid assumes a jelly-like form, which is .more or less firm on the outside but of a more liquid consistency further within the pores, so that the exterior portion continually draws moisture from the interior in sufficient; quantity to keep the exterior in that semi-moist condition necessary for collecting or laying the particles of dust with which it com cs in contact during the sweeping operation. A sweeping compound composed oithese ingrddientswill not only lay or collect thewlust without staining or greasing the floor or carpet, but will also cleanse any surface upon which it is rubbed. The ellicieilcy bi the material thus described may be considerably enhanced by the addition thereto of a quantity o,i'- sand, which serves the two-fold purposo of cutting the particles of saw dust apart, avoiding the possibility of the granules hanging together an, massqand adding weight to the t0 provcnt it from llying too h'ocly under the ac: tion 01' the broom, losny nothing ol' the scouring properties oi sand itself. With the proportions bclorc nicn tioncd, .lO pounds of sand may be employed,

The compound may be still further improved by the addition of common it, or sodium chlorid, in a granu-' la-r state, which posscsscs cleaning properties in itself, and has the further advantage of being hygroscopic, and attracting moisture to the mass, as well as drawing the moisture from the interior oi the particles ol'sawdust to their exteriors and therebykccping the exteriors moist to the requisite degree.

, I claim:

.l. A swooping compound comprising: scpurutc non-udhcsivc granules of porous material and n suponucimus material pmciiculiv wholly ZIllSOl'lHHi within the pores thereof.

2. A sweeping compound comprising insoluble porous granules snlurulvd with a sapouucoous material, [he surl'ucc of said grunuhs, being almost entirely free from said saponaceous mnlcrizll,

H. A sweeping compound comprising sawdust containing a suponaeoous mul -rial \vilhin lhc pores thereof, said sawdust being in [he form or separate nou'udhesivc free rolling granules.

l. A sweeping compouiutcomprising sawdust contain iug within its pores a suponacoous material of jolly lilo ronsislo ncy, said sawdust being in the form of sepzu'ulu non-adhesive i'roe rolling gruiulles havinyr their surfaces almost entirely free from said snpiniaeeous material.

3. A :nvvoniuuuiatvrial -1nn '1rii in;;' individual insoluble linl'tlllH granulrs xatura 'ed with a sapuuarunus ('onumsitinn in jvlly like turin. 7.

ti. SWt'tlvllLL! nmtvrial rnntprising; a mass uf (lrtachod pumnx ulanulw anrl a nmisl. sa mnak-t-nns cmnpnsitioh T. sn'nnping malt-rial minimising, :1 111:1 s of detached nhn-atlht-rvnt granuh-s varh (11' whirh runs \l,\ of a single unitary IIL'IN 111' insulttlllv umus material containing: a saponauvous ronipnsitiun ])lit(ftl(.'lll \\'h ll t absorbed within [h1- mrus thr-ruut. 1

1R. swrv ln; inat'urial llll1 l'l$ll\ i individual granules 11 sawdust hnring: a sapullavtnus niatvrlal practically ii, A swvuning tOlllpUtllltl ruin n'ising insoluble purou granuh-s and :1 saponaceous material, the latter twin; mmtainvtl pr: icall v wholly within the pores of the fut" nmr and a granular material, all in the form of separate non-adlmsivo granules.

151. A 'swnnpintr oln iound comprising insoluble porous A BERTIIOLIJ SINGER. 

